


Give up to gain

by SophiaHoppia



Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: Anal Sex, Comfort, Control Issues, Established Relationship, Fluff and Smut, Hair Pulling Kink, Insecurity, Insomnia, Love, M/M, OT4, Polyamory, Restless, Slow Sex, however that one happened, sleepy, tired
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-02
Updated: 2018-04-14
Packaged: 2019-04-17 08:00:23
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 20,298
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14184474
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SophiaHoppia/pseuds/SophiaHoppia
Summary: After several rough days, Ignis has troubles to fall asleep for many reasons. Gladio tries to help him, but for a selfless and perfectionist man like Iggy, it's difficult to accept support.[I still have trouble to come up with significant titles and interesting summaries.]





	1. The way back

**Author's Note:**

> Welcome to another episode of "Sophia had an idea for a short fanfiction, but then it escalated into this."

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Iggy is tired but we all know he'd never let that get in the way of his duties.

It had been a long and exhausting day. Ignis had woken up at camp after no more than three hours of sleep, which on its own wasn't a problem or something unusual. The advisor was used to tight schedules which came with even less time to sleep - nothing a few cans of Ebony couldn't fix. They'd taken on a hunt at Lestallum the day before, but as they had to take some photos for Vyv and search some dog tags for Dave as well, they didn't manage to do everything on only one day. Maybe they were overstraining themselves a little bit with all the requests and work they accepted lately, but they didn't have much of a choice, desperately needing more money.

After taking the desired photos and bringing the marks to Dave at a near outpost this morning, telling him everything they had found out about their owners, they decided to really concentrate on the hunt today and drive back to Lestallum in the evening at the latest. Eliminating the monsters took them way longer than expected though. The creatures were far more arduous than anticipated and when they finally finished their battle, it was too late to avoid the imminent empire attack from above. They had no choice but to fight them off as well.

Not wanting to waste another day and in desperate need of a shower and a good night's sleep in a real bed, the decision was made to drive back to Lestallum despite the late hour. They probably wouldn't make it before nightfall but it shouldn't get that late either. When they finally got into the car, the sun was already descending and Noctis offered to drive the Regalia. But Ignis- ever the observant one -had noticed the tiredness of his young prince and humbly declined the offer. After taking the wheel himself, placing a can of Ebony next to him, and starting off to Lestallum, the advisor noticed the prince falling asleep soundly not even half an hour after their departure, head resting against the backside of his seat. Gladio was tired from all the fighting and soon joined his seatmate in the land of dreams. Ignis smiled fondly as he looked into the rear-view mirror to watch their peaceful sleeping faces. Prompto was decent enough to at least _try_ to stay awake and keep the driver some company, which was appreciated by Ignis but also meant that he had to deal with the blond fidgeting around even more than usual. First, he took some landscape shots with his camera but it soon got too dark with the setting sun. Next, he started playing around with his phone but not without changing his sitting position not less than every two minutes. In addition, he changed the radio station every time a new song started and even though Ignis enjoyed the company of someone to keep him awake, the young man's fidgety behavior really started to get on his nerves.

"Prompto." It came out a little harsher than expected and he wanted to punch himself when he saw his young lover flinching with a pained expression and slowly putting his hand away from the radio to let it rest on his lap instead. The blond bit his bottom lip and started to twiddle his thumbs.

Ignis sighed. He didn't want to blame the other but he was starting to get a real headache.  
"Why don't you try to sleep until we arrive?" he offered while attempting with all his might to sound friendlier and less annoyed this time, which he seemed to succeed with if the lightening up of Prompto's expression was any indication.  
"I just wanted to keep you some company," the young man murmured while failing to suppress a long yawn.

"I appreciate the thought but it's quite alright. There's no need to stress yourself. I'm fine." To be honest, he wasn't sure if he was fine. They wouldn't reach Lestallum within the next hour and it was already dark outside making it even more tedious to drive attentively.  
"Hmm... Okay," the blond whispered before falling asleep almost instantly.

Ignis let out a sigh he didn't know he was holding when he finally got to enjoy the silence. Despite all the battles, stress and everything else going on lately, he really enjoyed traveling with his companions. Every day was interesting and it never got boring. But as much as he loved all three of them as well as the time they spent together, sometimes he longed for a few moments of silence.

Turning the radio down, so the music wouldn't wake his friends, he continued to drive through the night. Lestallum wasn't in sight yet but at least they didn't get attacked by monsters so far. He knew very well how dangerous it could be to drive at night. Even with their new headlights on the Regalia, they could never be entirely sure that they were completely safe.

About 30 minutes after Prompto had fallen asleep, Ignis reached for his can of Ebony, only to realize that it was empty. Had he really drunk it all already? Sighing silently, he took his hand back on the wheel. He was rather tired and wouldn't mind some caffeine to help him stay awake together with the pleasant flavor of his favorite drink. He gripped the steering wheel harder. How much longer did he have to drive? It shouldn't be that much further until they finally reached Lestallum.

Maybe it would have been wiser to camp at a haven tonight after all and drive the rest of the way in the morning. It's not like he was too tired to drive at all but he had to admit that he wasn't awake enough for it either. However, there was no turning back now. They had already passed the last safe camping spot and turning around would probably take as long as simply finishing the drive to Lestallum. It couldn't be this far anymore by now, could it? He checked the time on the Regalia's clock and noticed that only four minutes had passed since he had last checked. He really was tired. His eyelids felt heavy and it took quite some concentration to not close his eyes. Although he was used to exhaustion, some days it just hit him harder than usual. Sadly today was one of these days.

That's why he really would enjoy another can of Ebony now. And he was quite sure, he still had some in the Regalia's trunk. Maybe he should stop at the side of the road to retrieve it. But that would probably wake up the others and he didn't want to risk this. It was enough if one of their group was overtired. No need for the others to lose their well-deserved sleep as well.

He changed the radio to a more animated program and tipped his fingers to the beat on the wheel, always cautious to keep himself awake while being quiet enough. Didn't he still have a can of Ebony in the backseat too? Maybe he could reach it without having to pull over the car. Leaning back a little, he left his left hand on the wheel while taking his right hand to the back, fishing for their supplies bag. He knew it had to be somewhere down there. It was difficult to keep his eyes on the road and stay alert all the time while trying to find his beloved Ebony behind him. Apparently, he managed to pay enough attention to the road, but not to where his hand was going as he suddenly rather harshly brushed Gladio's knee, jolting the shield awake from his slumber. "Huh..? Iggy?"

The aforementioned pulled his hand back immediately and looked at the older man in the rear-view mirror. "My apologies, Gladio. I didn't intend to wake you," he whispered.  
"That's okay." The shield stretched himself a little. "I didn't even realize I had fallen asleep. Wasn't on purpose."  
"It's quite alright, don't worry about it. It was a long day. Go back to sleep."

A fond smile found its way onto Gladio's face.  
"Same goes for you, Iggy. It's been a long day indeed."  
The tactician just hummed in agreement but didn't say anything else. He just didn't have it in him to keep the other awake any longer. It was bad enough that he had woken him up in the first place. Next time he'd be more careful to be stealthy enough to not disturb anyone.  
"What did you want anyway?" Gladio asked and pulled him out of his thoughts again.

"Pardon?"  
Gladio chuckled.  
"Iggy. Stop thinking about everyone else and start thinking about yourself." It sounded a little reproachful. The older male knew him well enough by now, to have a clue what he was currently pondering about.  
"Were you searching for something?" Gladio added.

"Ah, yes. I was searching for a can of Ebony." With all his thoughts about accidentally waking up the other, he had almost forgotten his initial intention.

"Huh, is the other one already empty?" It was more of a rhetorical question and the shield already started to search for their supplies bag laying somewhere next to his feet. He found it soon enough and took out another can of the driver's beloved coffee. After opening it up as silently as possible, he passed it to his lover.  
"Here, next time just wake me up if you're thirsty or tired or for whatever reason."

Ignis accepted the can gratefully.  
"Thank you very much. For the Ebony and for your offer," he replied in earnest before taking a large sip out of the can and placing it in the cup holder next to the empty one.  
"You're welcome," the other male answered, trying to match his politeness.

Despite it all, Ignis still didn't plan to keep Gladio awake any longer, so he stopped talking and thoroughly concentrated on the road ahead of him. It shouldn't be that much further until they finally reached Lestallum. On the other hand, he felt like he had thought the exact same thing quite a while ago.

Just like Prompto before, Gladio tried to stay awake to keep Ignis some company. Although this was more difficult than the shield expected it to be. The constant driving and buzzing of the motor paired with the rhythmic little ups and downs of the road threatened to lull him back to sleep. He wanted to concentrate on the bypassing scenery but it was too dark to recognize anything in particular. All in all, it didn't take more than five minutes for him to fall back to sleep again.

Ignis noticed the process through the rear-view mirror all the while paying close attention to the road. The little exchange with Gladio had helped to rejuvenate him and he was thankful for it. He had even managed to forget his approaching headache for some minutes until he started to notice the throbbing behind his forehead again. Withholding a sigh, he took another sip of his Ebony. At least he had this. His beloved Ebony never disappointed him. It made him feel better and had helped him through tough days many times before. Maybe he was a little addicted. But everyone had their tiny flaws, didn't they?

When he saw the bridge over the canyon next to Lestallum he felt relieved. Afterwards, he just had to drive through the tunnel until they'd finally reach the city. It really wouldn't take much longer now. He changed the music on the radio again, smiling bitterly as he realized he started to do the same thing he had told Prompto to stop doing a while ago. Did he start to get fidgety, too? Maybe his tiredness was to blame. He silently hummed to the music, always cautious to not wake the others around him. Although they were probably all sleeping too deep to wake up from something so little, he just had to stay careful. Even though it was wearing him out to constantly force himself to be quiet. Maybe he was thinking about it too much and unnecessarily pressured himself. It wasn't like he was known to be especially noisy or anything, so he really shouldn't worry that much.

After driving over the bridge and into the tunnel a small smile found the way onto his lips. He was so happy about their destination coming into reach that he almost missed the Bomb-monsters on the road before him.

"Tsk." He clicked his tongue and turned the stirring wheel to the left at once. Maybe he could manage to pass by them fast enough to avoid a fight. Even though they had to be ready for everything all the time, his companions surely weren't in the best condition for a battle now. One of the bombers seemed to notice him while driving by and started to chase them. He accelerated the Regalia, for once ignoring the speed limit, desperately trying to get away from the enemies.

Fortunately, he managed to do so and shortly afterwards they finally reached Lestallum without any incidents. After parking the car, he stayed in his seat for a little while and kept his hands on the stirring wheel. Only when Prompto stirred beside him, he cleared his throat.  
"We have arrived," he explained with a rather silent voice and reached for his Ebony, drinking up the rest before he eventually relaxed.

Prompto opened his eyes and stretched his tense muscles before a little yawn left his mouth. Ignis got out of the car and moved to the back door, slightly shaking the prince's shoulder. "Noct? Wake up."  
But the black haired guy only mumbled something incomprehensible and buried himself deeper into his seat.

In the meantime, Prompto had managed to get up and stretched himself once more after leaving the Regalia. "Where are we going to stay? A caravan or the hotel?"  
"I think we have earned ourselves a night at the hotel. We'll have plenty of new resources tomorrow after turning in our hunt and the photos you took for Vyv," the advisor reasoned. "And I'd really like to have a shower and a comfortable bed right now," he mumbled more to himself although his young companion heard him nonetheless.  
"A real bed!!!" the blond exclaimed enthusiastically, which finally caused their other two companions to wake up from their slumber.  
"Bed?" Noctis rubbed his eyes. "That sounds good..."  
His voice was still very sleepy and he didn't even manage to keep his eyes open. "Carry me..."

" _I_ won't carry you," Ignis sounded snappier than he intended to. Being sleep deprived and having a headache really got to him. He opened the trunk, took out his bag and turned to leave. Normally they went together but he didn't have the nerves right now. He knew what kind of mood he was in and he didn't want to accidentally start a fight with anyone. It was nobody's fault he was tired and suffering from a headache, so he wouldn't take his bad mood out on anyone. Deeming it best to just be on his own for a short while to take a deep breath and recharge a little, he threw the keys over to Prompto.  
"Lock up once you have finished fetching your belongings. I'll book our room at the hotel in the meantime," he said and started to move away without waiting for an answer. He didn't see the questioning looks his lovers shared with each other - at least they were all awake _now_.

Ignis crossed the street and walked towards the hotel. They had visited Lestallum often enough by now to know the fastest route through the narrow side streets to the Leville hotel. Although the walk seemed to take longer today - or should he say tonight? It was almost midnight already. Maybe he just was too exhausted from the last two days. Putting his duffle bag on his other shoulder, he sighed and continued onwards.

When the hotel finally came into view, he heard fast footsteps behind him before he received a friendly pat on the shoulder and heard Prompto's happy voice, "Caught up with you!"

Ignis blinked at him confused before looking over his shoulder in search of the others. And to his surprise, he already saw Gladio and Noctis catching up to them as well. Did he walk this slowly or did the others hurry more than usual? Whatever it was it wouldn't change his plan to get to the hotel as fast as possible.

Even though it was nighttime, he already felt how soaked his shirt had gotten. It wasn't so much from the heat but the high humidity in the air. It felt even sultrier than last week. Wiping away some droplets of sweat from his forehead, he silently prayed for the air to be more comfortable inside the hotel room.

Once they finally reached their destination, he went straight to the reception to book a room for them all. Apparently, the hotel was almost fully booked this week, but he managed to get a room with at least two beds. He thanked the receptionist, paid in advance and took the keys.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The story is 95% finished. I'll upload the other chapters soon!
> 
>  
> 
> [Check out my Profile to find me on Tumblr or Twitter!](https://archiveofourown.org/users/SophiaHoppia/profile)   
> 


	2. The arts of fallen asleep

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ignis is tired and just wants to sleep. 
> 
> But that's easier said than done.

His three companions followed Ignis into their shared hotel room.

After opening the door and switching on the lights, they were greeted with the usual turquoise colored walls, which were decorated with many different pictures. They had stayed at the Leville quite a few times and had seen many different rooms of the hotel. Ignis liked that they all had a similar theme and flair to them, but each room still felt different from the other. Today's room had many landscape pictures and brown pillows together with beige-colored blankets on the beds with pure white sheets. In two corners of the room stood potted plants, their green freshness evoking a sense of cool relief in contrast to the sweltering heat of Lestallum. The balcony doors were closed, causing the heat to stay outside.

On the left side after entering the room was a small bathroom next to an even smaller kitchenette. Two armchairs and a tiny couch stood around a table in the corner almost next to the beds. It felt like they had been squashed into the room just to be there, making the humble room look too crowded but Ignis didn't mind. They weren't here to enjoy the beauty of a hotel room but to get some sleep.

After entering, Noctis made a beeline for the nearest bed, straightaway falling into the soft sheets, face down.  
"At least take a shower before going to bed," Ignis reasoned and immediately searched for his own body care products and some casual clothes to change into.  
"Too tired..." mumbled the sleepy prince, not caring to give his advisor a proper answer.

"Didn't we want to play some King's Knight, Noct?" Prompto reminded his friend, which caused the prince to at least turn his head to the side.  
"Yeah... we did. Not sure we will do, though."

"Hey, that was a whole sentence! You can't be _that_ tired. And don't forget about dinner. You have to eat something," Gladio said, joining the conversation.

 _Dinner, right._ Ignis had completely forgotten about it even though it was his task to ensure they had enough meals. He usually planned his cooking in advance, but the day had been too hectic and he was so tired he simply hadn't thought about it yet. They hadn't eaten anything since they had some pathetic sandwiches in the early afternoon.

Gladio seemed to notice his inner distress and grinned widely. "How about some cup noodles? It's way too late for some fancy cooking anyway."  
"Sounds good to me!" Prompto beamed. Ignis wasn't sure where the young blond took all this energy from. Was the short nap on their drive here really enough to fill up his resources?

"Wake me up when they're ready..." Noctis mumbled without opening his eyes. A small smile graced Ignis's lips. He'd never admit it out loud, but the prince's sleepy talk always sounded kind of cute. When it suddenly became silent though, he realized the questioning gazes of his other friends on him. What did they want? Oh yeah, he hadn't reacted to Gladio's suggestion so far.

"I'll take a quick shower while you prepare our cup noodles. This sort of meal is _your_ specialty after all, isn't it?"  
He couldn't avoid a little teasing tone. Gladio huffed in response and went over to the small kitchenette, probably to boil some water. "Leave it to me."

Looking forward to a nice and refreshing shower Ignis stepped into the small bathroom. He would have liked to take a hot shower to relax his tensed up muscles, but after walking through the humid streets of Lestallum, causing even his clothes to be soaking wet, he preferred some cooler water to finally cool down and stop sweating.

After showering he put on a loose shirt with short sleeves and some long jogging pants. He didn't often wear casual clothes, but by now he didn't care for anything besides getting comfortable and going to sleep.

As he left the bathroom he saw the others sitting around the small table waiting for the cup noodles to be ready. Even Noctis had managed to move from the bed to the couch, although he still had his eyes closed and was more lying than sitting.

Ignis diligently stored away his belongings in his duffle bag before he joined them at the table, sitting down right next to Noctis. Aforementioned prince grumbled something when he felt the couch dip down a little and even opened his eyes to look at his advisor.  
"Didn't you want to play some King's Knight with Prompto?" Ignis asked as he started to casually brush through Noct's hair. The prince began to purr and moved a little to lay his head on his advisor's lap.

Since the black haired guy didn't seem to respond properly, Prompto took it upon him to answer the pending question. "He said, he wanted to rest a few more minutes and we'll play after we finished eating."

"Why don'tcha just play tomorrow?" Gladio joined the conversation and suggested the easiest solution, which caused the prince to finally speak up as well. "Naaah... I promised to play today... Just need some energy from the food..."

Ignis snorted at his comment. "I doubt that _cup noodles_ will provide you with sufficient nutrition to produce enough energy."

"Hey!! No badmouthing cup noodles!" Gladio said offended and crossed his arms before his chest, "They may not be the healthiest dish out there, but they are still good enough!"

The advisor just snorted again and didn't say anything more about this topic. He knew it wouldn't end well otherwise since it wouldn't be the first time the two of them had a discussion about the advantages and disadvantages of cup noodles. And even though he kind of enjoyed to tease the shield a little and watch him getting all passionate about something simple as cup noodles, he really wasn't awake enough for it right now.

Prompto saved them all from further discussions by taking his cup into his hands. "Guess they are finally ready to get eaten! Let's dig in!"  
As always Ignis wasn't really fond of the convenience food but it was better than having to cook this late in the evening after two exhausting days.

The tactician ate mostly in silence, being too tired to join the casual conversation his companions made. At least his headache seemed to have gone away by now.

As soon as they finished their meal he put the empty plastic cups in the garbage bin and went to one of the beds after switching off the main lights of the room. He chose the one close to the big balcony doors, further away from the bathroom. Diligently he put his glasses on the nightstand and was way too tired to do anything else. As he lay down he had enough sense left to quickly wish his lovers a good night.

He closed his eyes instantly, only to open them again as he heard his prince's voice. "I'll share a bed with Prompto tonight, okay Iggy? Because we wanna play some more King's Knight."  
"Certainly," answered Ignis, his voice already sounding a little sleepy. He enjoyed sharing a bed with all of his lovers. Usually, he shared his bed with Noctis though, because he himself was a very light sleeper and Noct always fell asleep as soon as he closed his eyes and lay dead like a rock. Sharing a bed with Prompto had proved itself rather difficult from time to time since the blond fidgets too much in his sleep. It's like he's never able to stay still, even while being in the land of dreams. Gladio- much like Noct -didn't move around much in his sleep, but with his big stature and Ignis's length, they sometimes had trouble to find enough space in a small bed together. On some occasions, Gladio snored, but fortunately, this wasn't the norm.

All in all, he was too tired to think about it more thoroughly and would probably be in a deep slumber soon, anyway. So it didn't really matter now, who'd join him in bed later.

Or at least, he thought so.

When he felt himself drifting away to sleep, some loud shattering from the bathroom jolted him wide awake again and he propped himself up on his elbows on reflex, looking over at the bathroom door. The sound was followed by Prompto's muffled voice coming through the closed door. "I'm fine, don't worry!"

Ignis sighed and lay back down again. Whatever his youngest lover had knocked over in his usual clumsiness, he decided he didn't care about it right now as long as no one got hurt. Rolling onto his right side, facing the large balcony doors, he closed his eyes again.

It wasn't that much later when he heard the bathroom door being opened and the bright light from inside fell into the bedroom. Even with his eyes closed he noticed the intruding brightness and felt bothered by it. He heard his two younger lovers giggling and talking as they presumably got out their phones and started the King's Knight app up.

Just as he wanted to ask for some decency, he heard Gladio's deep voice. "Keep it down or go to sleep, you two."

"Sorry..." Prompto mumbled before Ignis heard some more shuffling and the creaking of the other bed. Judging from the sounds, the two boys probably hid under the blanket together to muffle their voices a little more.

Ignis wasn't sure how they could stay completely covered up. It was always hot in Lestallum, but today it seemed to be especially bad. He had a thin blanket halfway on his legs since he always needed some kind of cloth covering him to sleep, but if he was honest, it felt too hot already.

Lying on his left side again, he tried his best to ignore the constant heat and fall asleep.  
Although this was easier said than done. Noctis and Prompto were hiding under their blankets now but their endless snickering didn't go unnoticed. A little more consideration would be nice but his two lovers had their own fair share of troubles and sorrows. If they managed to relieve some stress while playing King's Knight, he just couldn't have the heart to tell them to keep it down. Especially not after Gladio already had said something to them earlier.

Speaking of the devil... Ignis was able to hear the water flushing through the pipes and thin walls perfectly well. The bathroom was located on the opposite side of the room but he still heard everything: Even Gladio putting down his shower gel and humming as he washed himself. A small smile graced the advisor's lips despite all. At least the others seemed to be in a good mood and relaxed enough.

He turned around to lie on his right side, facing the balcony doors once more, the other bed with his giggling boyfriends to his back. Taking a deep breath he cuddled himself into the sheets. It was nice to sleep in a real bed. Sleep on itself was nice.  
If it just wasn't so hot.

The tactician pressed his eyes shut and took a deep breath, trying to relax. He put the blanket a little lower to reduce the heat but still feel the comfortable cloth around his waist.  
It didn't take long for Gladio to leave the bathroom again and walk over to their prince on the other bed.  
"Come on, princess," he said in a hushed voice, "time to wash up."  
"I'm too tired, Gladio..." Their charge whined.  
"Stop complaining and move your royal ass. You're reeking."  
"Hey! I'm not _that_ filthy!" Noctis complained.  
"Um... you should still take a quick shower, buddy," Prompto added to the conversation.  
"Seriously? Even you pressure me?" The prince retorted.  
"Noct, come on. Stop throwing a tantrum like a little child." The shield sighed.  
"I'm not even throwing a tantrum!"

"If you wouldn't complain so much and keep others from getting their much-needed sleep, you could have already finished showering by now," Ignis mentioned, sounding a little annoyed.  
"Sorry, Iggy," Gladio said before Noctis let out a loud yelp.  
"Let me down!"  
"Shut up, princess. If you won't go to the bathroom on your own, I'll just drop you there."

Ignis hoped he would finally be able to sleep now but even through the closed bathroom door he heard the muffled voices of his two lovers. Judged by the cries of the young prince, Gladio must have put him under the shower before the water turned warm. It wasn't a secret to any of them that Gladio could get a little rough if one jangled his nerves too much. Usually, the advisor would tell him to get a grip on himself and be more considerate and respectful towards their prince. Which always led to Gladio accusing Ignis of pampering Noct too much. He never knew who of them was right. Maybe a mixture of both was best? So Ignis didn't mind to leave tonight's matter of teaching Noct a lesson to his older lover. Sometimes he wondered if others saw them as a married couple discussing the best way to raise their child. But to be honest, Noct really _did_ act like a child from time to time. No wonder Gladio called him a brat. Ignis would never admit it out loud but sometimes he agreed with the shield in this aspect.

His train of thought got interrupted as the other two left the bathroom again. He hadn't even realized how long he had lain there thinking about them.  
"Let's play another round of King's Knight, Prom!" Noctis suggested as he flopped back down on the bed he shared with their blond lover.  
"Sure," answered Prompto although his usually enthusiastic voice sounded very sleepy by now.  
"Just be quiet," mumbled Gladio and Ignis felt the mattress dip down beside him as the shield joined him in bed. He moved a little closer to the edge as he felt how the large man had trouble to fit next to him and Gladio turned to sleep on his left side, taking up less space than he would have lying on his back.

He heard his younger lovers giggle in triumph or sigh in defeat a few times again before they _finally_ put away their phones, getting ready to sleep.

Ignis let out a breath he didn't know he was holding when everything and everyone around him finally seemed to be quiet. It felt like an eternity since he had lain down and wished for nothing more than a proper rest. The silence calmed him and it appeared like the requirements for falling asleep were finally met.

If it just wouldn't be so hot. He really had trouble to doze off when it was too cold or too hot. Sometimes it felt like his body was so busy complaining about the temperature with shivering or sweating that it was unable to concentrate on shutting down and falling asleep.

With another small sigh, he pulled the thin blanket down from his body after all. His movement caused Gladio to stir and grumble beside him, the shield changing his sleeping position, moving to lay down on his back instead. Usually, the large man wasn't a light sleeper but Ignis should probably reduce his movements to a minimum if he didn't want to cause his companion to miss out on sleep because of him.

And since it was in Ignis's nature to always think about his loved ones before he thought about himself, he tried his best to stay quiet.

Gladio's movement had caused the large man to take up even more space of the small bed than before. Ignis was pressed against the shield's arm and felt the heat radiating from his lover's always hot body. He didn't even want to know how hot the other must be feeling right now. The tactician was someone with a usually rather low body temperature but even he was sweating in the unbearable heat and mugginess of Lestallum. But did this even mean that the shield felt hotter than him? Maybe it was the opposite. Couldn't it be that Gladio was more used to heat than him and therefore didn't have as much trouble with the current weather as the tactician had?

Either way that wasn't a question he should be pondering about _now_. He really wanted to move away a little bit from the human stove beside him, but firstly he didn't want to wake the other up with his movement and secondly there wasn't any space to move to anyway. Gladio was pressed firmly against the advisor's left arm and Ignis's right arm almost hung out of the bed since he lay on the edge of it. He could have tried to just let his arm hang down the bed instead of obstinately trying to press it beside his body without letting it drop down. Acting on this thought he let his arm slip down the mattress as quietly as possible.

Only to realize that this position wasn't comfortable either.

He pulled his arm back up on the bed and pressed it against his side. There was no way he could sleep like this. Not if he constantly tried to keep himself or parts of him from falling out of the bed.

Maybe he should just move his hand a little bit. The others sometimes made fun of him sleeping like a man lying in his coffin, flat on his back, hands right beside his body.

So he moved his right hand up from the mattress and let it rest on his chest instead. Maybe he could sleep like this.

Or not.

It felt unfamiliar. And by unfamiliar, he meant _way too unfamiliar_. He tried moving his hand down to his stomach alternatively and Gladio made a short disapproving sound beside him. That was the point where Ignis decided to really stop moving for now. It wouldn't do them any good if his restlessness caused any of the others to stay awake as well.

It was uncommon for Gladio to react to his movements this sensitively. Usually, the advisor was the light sleeper of their group.

He opened his eyes and looked at the man beside him. Thanks to the lights outside, it wasn't completely dim and after his eyes got used to the darkness he was able to make out the outlines of his lover's face without trouble. The shield's eyes were closed and his face looked relaxed. That was good. Apparently, he was still sleeping rather fine even though he had reacted to Ignis's movements just now.

The tactician closed his own eyes once again and tried to drift off into the land of dreams as well. But he still couldn't find it in him to calm down enough to sleep. He wasn't even sure why. He definitely was tired and exhausted enough to sleep for ten hours straight if he had the time. But he knew he hadn't. They should get up early tomorrow and collect the reward for their hunt and Prompto's pictures. Afterwards, they had to decide how to proceed further. They needed to get more information about the roadblocks the Imperials had set up in the west of Lestallum to be able to plan their next step accurately. Furthermore, they really had to check for more information on the other Royal Tombs so Noct could collect more Royal Arms.

Considering all this information gathering and planning he had to do tomorrow, he really should get up early. Now that he thought about it, he wasn't even sure if he had set his alarm clock for the next day. He usually did it before he went to bed, but tonight he had been in a hurry and presumably forgot about it. Maybe he should check his phone just to be sure? But then he would have to move again, which could- together with the bright light of his screen -wake up Gladio. Additionally, he should probably let the others sleep in a little tomorrow. He could hunt for information on his own. His lovers seemed way too exhausted lately. So maybe _now_ he should check if his alarm clock was turned _off_ so he didn't wake up the others too early. But he probably forgot to set it in the first place. He'd just wait and see. Usually, he could rely on his inner clock to wake him up about 5 minutes before his alarm went off anyway. He was trusting his body enough to not disappoint him in this matter tomorrow.

Finding peace with this arrangement Ignis hoped he'd finally be able to drift off to sleep. He had his eyes closed and tried to concentrate on his breathing. Maybe he should try to count sheep. Didn't some people say counting sheep helps to fall asleep? If he was honest, he didn't even know why it had to be sheep of all animals. Which kind of bugged him since he was used to be in the know about almost everything. Maybe they were the favorite animals of the person who came up with this idea or it was because their soft fur made you feel comfortable in your soft bed. All in all, it seemed ridiculous to him to count sheep. But it was supposed to be boring and prevent your mind from wandering to other things, which could keep one from falling asleep. On the other hand, it's like purposely shutting down your brain even if it still _wants_ to work and obviously _has_ things to ponder about - probably very important things one would totally forget otherwise.

Or you were just keeping yourself awake with unnecessary thoughts.

Ignis sighed silently. He was tired. Just so very tired. Why was it so difficult to fall asleep? His body and mind were exhausted enough that he wanted to sleep and nothing else. His eyes were exhausted as well. Just keeping them open hurt and he felt tears sting at their corners whenever he kept them open for too long.

It's not like he _wanted_ to do anything else right now, but he felt like wasting time anyway. Lying in the bed idly or without getting any rest wasn't anything he was used to. He had been raised to use the little time he had in perfect extent. If falling asleep was out of the question, he should instead think of getting up and being productive.

But he was too tired. He was too tired to do anything but for some reason too restless to fall asleep.

It was frustrating.

Ignis suppressed a sigh. He really needed to catch up on some sleep - preferably right now. But his brain just couldn't calm down. His body seemed restless and agitated as well. It had been two long days and he had to be on alert almost all the time. Surely his mind and body just needed to realize they were out of danger right now and it was okay to rest. Other than on their drive back. If he was honest, Ignis could have fallen asleep while driving, because he was too tired and had to try hard to even stay awake. But now when he finally was allowed to sleep, it seemed impossible to him. Maybe the last can of Ebony had been too much? Not that he would ever admit this out loud but caffeine could be a blessing and a curse at the same time.

Maybe he should rely on counting sheep after all. It wouldn't hurt to at least try it, would it? He forced his imagination awake and pictured a fresh green meadow before his inner eyes. It looked very nice and relaxing. That was a start, wasn't it? All that was left were sheep to count although he still wasn't sure why it had to be sheep. It's not that he disliked them, but he wasn't very fond of them either. He should just substitute them with other animals. For example chocobos! Yes, that would work. A small smile graced his lips as he had to think about his blond lover. Prompto's preferences for animals seemed to slowly rub off on him. The advisor concentrated again and now he had a little herd of chocobos on his meadow. Even though the term _herd_ was slightly exaggerated. There were only four birds. The exact four birds they often traveled with, no need to count them.

Ignis opened his eyes and sighed. This wasn't going to work. He had to find another way to calm down. A warm glass of milk with honey or a herbal tea would be nice, preferably chamomile. But therefore he would have to get up and use the kitchen which was out of the question with his companions sleeping. Did they even have fresh milk or dried chamomile right now? In his mind, he quickly went through the ingredients they had picked up the last days and these two weren't any of them. He made a mental note to buy some at the market tomorrow.

He just had to sleep without having a calming drink or counting animals. Maybe it would work if he just thought about it often enough. He had to sleep, he had to sleep, he had to sl-

"No more..." Prompto's mumbling made Ignis open his eyes at once. Was the blond awake? Did something happen? He looked around the room as best as he could without moving his body too much but he saw nothing out of the ordinary. His blond lover just mumbled something incomprehensible and changed his sleeping position before he was quiet once again.

Must have been nothing more than sleep-talking then. The tactician sighed in relief and settled his head back down on the pillow. Although he hadn't changed his position, he didn't lie as comfortable as he had before. The mattresses of the Leville hotel weren't as soft as the one he had back at home in Insomnia but it was way more comfortable than their simple sleeping bags they used during camping. At least it _should_ be. But he suddenly seemed to feel every little bedspring drilling into his back.

The night had just begun but Ignis already knew it would be an exhausting one. Trying to ease the upcoming pain in his back he decided to change his sleeping position after all. If he moved slowly enough, he surely wouldn't wake up Gladio. Acting on that thought, he carefully lifted his hips and turned around to lie on his left side, his back towards the lights shining in through the window and facing Gladio instead. The shield grumbled something incomprehensible and moved his head to face Ignis. The advisor already expected the other man to look at him directly but his eyes didn't open.

Seems like he had been quiet enough. And he didn't feel the bedsprings anymore now. Soon he should be able to sleep.

If he just wouldn't feel like something was missing.

The tactician opened his eyes again, fairly annoyed by now. He wanted a blanket. Even if it was hot and humid, he just couldn't fall asleep without it. Why had he cast it away earlier? He moved his feet in search of his blanket and felt the soft piece of cloth at the end of the bed. If he moved carefully enough he should be able to pick it up with his toes and pull it up his body until his hands could reach it. He was flexible enough. Now he just needed to be stealthy and quiet enough as well.

Following his plan, he grabbed the thin blanket between his toes and moved his leg to pull it up. The rustling of the cloth sounded way too loud in his ears as he shuffled it up his body. Why was it that loud? It was just a blanket. But at night and especially when you were desperately trying to be quiet, everything appeared to be so much louder.

Content with the slight weight of the soft fabric over his legs and hips, Ignis cuddled his face into his cushion. Finally, he was comfortable enough to think about sleep again.

At least that was what he had hoped. But his body just refused to sleep in this heat. Ignis sighed. It was enough. He had to do something even if he risked waking up the others. Surely they would forgive him and fall asleep again.

He stood up as quietly as possible and opened the balcony door. He heard Prompto mumbling in his sleep again as his blond lover turned around without really waking up. The tactician smiled relieved and kept standing at the balcony door. It was still a little sultry outside but the cold night air was more pleasant than the stuffy air of the hotel room.

He lingered by the window and watched the fountain outside. The constant flow of water seemed to mysteriously calm him down. Maybe now he would be able to find some peace of mind and fall asleep.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Do you know nights like these? I sure do...
> 
>  
> 
> [Check out my Profile to find me on Tumblr or Twitter!](https://archiveofourown.org/users/SophiaHoppia/profile)   
> 


	3. The advantages and disadvantages of companionship

After taking a few more calming breaths of fresh air, Ignis decided to leave the balcony doors open and lay back down in bed again.

By now the tactician was just plainly annoyed by the fact that he still hadn't fallen asleep.

He enjoyed the fresh, cooler air and concentrated on Gladio's deep and rhythmic breathing. It was calming to have his strong lover lying right next to him. He tried to match his breath with Gladio's and felt himself slowly starting to drift off to sleep.

Until Gladio let out a loud snore and Ignis's eyes shot open again. _Oh, bloody hell._ It wasn't often that the advisor swore, but it wasn't often either that the shield snored in his sleep. Why did it have to be tonight of all times?! Ignis groaned, pulling the blanket over his head, desperately trying to blend out the snoring sounds, which apparently got louder with each breath the larger male took.

Were the Astrals against him or what had he done to deserve this? Ignis sighed. He needed to calm down. Getting worked up or drowning in self-pity wouldn't help him in any way. And hiding under this thin blanket didn't help him either. Gladio's snoring was still way too loud; additionally it got too hot and stuffy under the cloth.

He pulled it back down to his hips and took in a breath of fresh air. He just needed to wait. Gladio would probably stop snoring soon enough anyway. Or should he wake him up? No, that wouldn't be fair. It wasn't as if Gladio's snoring was the only thing keeping the tactician from getting his much-needed sleep.

Ignis carefully moved to lie on his right side, facing the window and putting his back towards his snoring lover. Maybe he could ignore the snoring altogether. Sure, he was a light sleeper but it's not like he could only sleep in _dead silence_. Especially when they were camping, there were always little sounds around them. The wind, the chirring of crickets, sometimes even the cries of monsters fighting in the distance. Not to forget the occasional snoring of Gladio together with Prompto's mumbling and tossing. But he still managed to sleep at these nights at camp. So he should be just fine today as well, shouldn't he?

The answer came to him as a group of very certainly drunk people decided to pass by the hotel and keep standing at the fountain on the forecourt, shouting and laughing and not giving a care about anyone in the surrounding buildings who probably all just wanted to sleep like he wanted to.

This really wasn't his lucky night. He heaved a sigh and stood up once again, strolling over to the balcony door and threw the people outside a stern gaze. He really wanted to tell them off and reprimand them about good manners, but he would have to shout for them to hear him and _that_ really would wake up his companions. So he decided to just close the balcony door before shambling back to bed.

Gladio grumbled when Ignis lay down and turned his back towards him to lie on his left side. The advisor guiltily stopped moving at once and held his breath. Had he done it now and had accidentally woken up his lover? But after a short while the shield's breathing calmed down again and he was back to taking deep breaths. Ignis sighed in relief. He hadn't woken him up and the other had even stopped snoring. He could still hear the group of partying people outside, but their sounds where muffled through the closed windows.

He just hoped that he would eventually stop hearing them as he fell asleep or that they just left for their homes eventually.

He wasn't sure if he should feel lucky when he finally heard them leaving only to realize the reason _why_ they had left. It took no more than a few seconds before he heard the first droplets of rain, a thunderstorm arrived and broke down over Lestallum. The rain paired with the howling wind was bad enough, but the loud thunder put Ignis over the edge.

That was it. He had no idea how his lovers were able to sleep with this end of the world scenario rampaging outside, but he sure as hell could _not_. He really had given up on even trying. Sighing for the umpteenth time, the tactician stood up from the bed and went over to the balcony door.

He watched the storm outside and traced the raindrops sliding down the glass with his tired eyes for a while.

"Can't sleep?"  
Ignis was a little startled as he suddenly heard Gladio's soft voice right behind him. How had he not noticed the other waking up and walking over to him? This wasn't good. Firstly he had probably woken him up due to his own restlessness and secondly he had to be vigilant all the time, sensing danger approaching Noct as soon as possible. Not that Gladio counted as a source of danger. But he still had let the other man sneak up on him without taking notice. He was a failure as Crownsguard.  
"Overthinking again?" It was more of a statement than a question, that left Gladio's mouth.  
"My apologies. Did I wake you up?" Ignis asked without confirming or denying the other's rhetorical question.

The taller man gently pulled him into his arms and let his head rest on his shoulder, whispering into his ear. "Would you believe me, if I told you, that I woke up because I felt lonely?"  
The tactician snorted as he freed himself from the embrace and turned around.  
"Certainly not," he said before raising an eyebrow, "Was that a cheesy line you picked up from another one of your sappy romance novels?"  
Gladio sighed. "Nope, that one came straight and sincerely from my own sappy heart."  
Ignis raised an eyebrow. "Are you serious?"  
The shield overdramatically clutched his chest. "You are hurting my feelings, Ignis Scientia."  
"Stop pretending," the advisor said as he couldn't stop a slight smile from tucking up the corners of his mouth and playfully slapped against Gladio's firm chest. The exchange caused the taller man to chuckle and pull Ignis into another embrace, this time standing face to face, trapping Ignis's hands between their chests and softly bumping their noses together.

"Seriously, what's keeping you up?" Gladio asked patiently.  
"I don't know," Ignis sighed, fretfully shaking his head, half-heartedly trying to leave the embrace again, although without success this time.  
"Certainly not the heat, nor the thunderstorm. That's nothing unusual. I'm used to people partying outside as well. It's also not the first time we are hunting to seemingly no end and my consumption of Ebony is not as bad as that one time I've suffered from a caffeine overdose," the advisor said without looking at Gladio's face, instead letting his eyes restlessly wander around the mostly dark room. "And it's nothing new the boys can't keep quiet whenever they are playing games together. It's also known that you snore from time to time. So yeah, I have no idea what's keeping me up. Nothing out of the ordinary. "

"Ouch. Someone is getting sarcastic."  
The advisor sighed. "My apologies again. It's not fair to take it out on you."  
"It _is_ okay, Iggy. You are allowed to complain about stuff and rely on others as well," the shield reassured, softly putting the advisor's chin up with his large hand, to get a better look at his face. Ignis still refused to look him into the eyes though.

"Go on," Gladio gently prodded as he moved his hand a little to soothingly caress the tactician's cheek with his thumb.  
Ignis just sighed once again. "There is nothing to go on."  
"Bullshit," Gladio suddenly retorted rather harshly and immediately cleared his throat afterwards.  
"Sorry, didn't mean to sound so bossy," he continued more patiently again, "Just tell me what's on your mind so we can figure out what you need."  
"It's... I'm not sure myself," he admitted quietly.  
"That's okay, just start somewhere. No need to put it in a perfectly coherent order," Gladio suggested, still tightly embracing the advisor.

Ignis let his forehead rest against the tall man's shoulder and took a deep breath. He really didn't know where to start. He wasn't even sure what his lover expected to hear from him, already having mentioned the circumstances keeping him from falling asleep. And the other had already guessed correctly about him overthinking everything once again as well. That wasn't something unusual though. He was always thinking about everything important and didn't really know how to _not_ overthink everything. Probably because he'd been raised this way and never learned how to shut down his thoughts and just relax. Sometimes he envied Noct's ability to fade out his surroundings and fall asleep on the spot.

The soft kiss Gladio placed on his head brought his thoughts back on track again. Right, the other still waited for him to speak up.  
"I... just want to sleep," he said, inwardly slapping himself for such a stupid and obvious answer.  
"Okay, that's a good first step," Gladio mumbled against his hair, placing a few more kisses atop of it.  
"You may blame me for such an obvious answer."  
"Iggy, there is nothing to blame you for," the shield put his hands on the advisor's shoulders to push him slightly away and get a look at his face. "And it wasn't an obvious answer."  
"It wasn't?" Ignis still refused to meet the other's eyes. "What else did you expect me to mention?"  
"I don't know," the taller man shrugged his shoulders, "Maybe that you wanted to stay up since it's already the middle of the night anyway? Probably thoroughly planning our next steps and what we have to do tomorrow."

Ignis furrowed his brows. Gladio was right, that _did_ sound like something he'd do. And now that he mentioned it, the tactician wondered why he hadn't thought about it yet. Of course, sleep was important but if he couldn't get it anyway, it would be more beneficial to use the time wisely.  
"Oh, no, no, no," Gladio said to interrupt his thoughts, "I know that look on your face. Scratch my last sentence at once. It was a bad idea to even mention it."  
"It wasn't a bad idea, Gladio. We have limited time anyway, it would be better to-"  
"Nope," the shield interrupted him again, "Stop right there. Think back to what you said. You said you wanted to sleep. And that's what you should do. Your body needs some rest from time to time. Even _your_ brain can't function on caffeine alone forever."  
The tactician frowned, "But-"  
"No more _buts_ , Iggy," he said, tightening his grip on the advisor's shoulders to emphasize his statement. "You need to sleep, Ignis Scientia. You have to calm down and relax."

The use of his full name and the worried tone Gladio spoke his words with made the advisor look up and into his lover's eyes for the first time this night. He only now realized how worried his companion was about him. Of course, he was. Ignis would be worried as well if the others rested as little as he himself did.

He closed his eyes and shifted his weight from one leg to the other, chewing on his bottom lip before he looked into Gladio's eyes again and sheepishly said, "I don't know how to... Help me, please?"

It was a lie. He knew how to. There had always been one way to stop him from overthinking.

As Gladio shakily sucked in a deep breath and the air around them seemed to change at once, Ignis knew his intention had been understood. The taller man grabbed him by his waist, immediately pressing their lower bodies together, and lasciviously whispered into his ear, "I'll gladly help you to stop thinking about anything but _me_."

Ignis couldn't help but smile as Gladio started to kiss a trail from his ear over his cheek to his lips. The oldest one of his three lovers was always so eager to get physical. And even if the advisor let himself get swept away by the advances of his lovers most of the time, it was a rarity for him to initiate something. He wasn't sure why, but he rarely accepted the fact that his body needed to go after these primal needs from time to time. Even in his teenage years he was annoyed how often he had to use his hand to get these needs out of his system and be able to focus his mind on his duties again. After getting into a relationship with Gladio, Noctis and Prompto, his opinion about physical needs and sex changed a little. He slowly learned that it wasn't a shame to enjoy living out these natural desires. Still, it wasn't something that occupied his mind as often as it probably did his lovers' minds.

"Less thinking, more kissing?" Gladio carefully mumbled against his lips.  
"Apologies, of course," Ignis smiled before he started to kiss the other for real. Gladio willingly opened his mouth at once and their tongues met in the middle fighting for dominance.

It always _was_ a fight with Gladio. Prompto and Noctis on the other hand enjoyed getting pampered and turned into pudding under Ignis's touches. He was happy he managed to get such a reaction out of his younger lovers and it was a relief when they told him at the beginning of their relationship that they preferred bottoming. The advisor himself wasn't fond of being on the receiving end. He had bottomed a few times when his younger lovers begged him to try it, but he could count on one hand how often it had happened. It's not that he didn't enjoy these times he rode them, but it was somehow more intense and therefore more exhausting. Besides, he had always been used to be in perfect control of everything around him. And that was definitely easier when _he_ topped.

At first, it wasn't so easy between Gladio and himself. The shield liked sex either way, but that's why he enjoyed switching and didn't want to bottom all the time. Yet that's where a polyamorous relationship comes in handy. They eventually came to an unspoken agreement that Gladio went to their two younger lovers whenever he wanted to top.

When Gladio deeply moaned into the kiss, Ignis broke their contact at once to whisper, "We have to be quiet."  
"Why?" the shield asked chuckling and raised an eyebrow in confusion.  
" _Why?_ Because the others are sleeping and it's bad enough that I have already woken you up!" the tactician scolded.  
"Astrals, Iggy. It was a joke when I said I woke up because I felt lonely in bed. I don't know what really caused me to get up."  
"Certainly it was me. You already stirred a few times when I tossed and turned too loudly." Ignis guiltily bit his lip. He had been so careful to be quiet as to not bother his lovers around him, but he had failed once again.

Gladio sighed and pressed a large, wet kiss on the advisor's forehead, making the man frown a little and wipe his forehead in faked annoyance.  
"I'm quite sure you were stealthier than anyone could be. And even _if_ you woke me up, I don't mind."  
"You don't-" Ignis stopped midsentence to heave another sigh. "You _should_ mind, Gladiolus. It's important to get enough sleep!"  
"Yeah, sleep is important. That's why I'm glad to be awake to get _you_ tired enough to fall asleep."

The large man smirked triumphantly before he leaned down to place another short kiss on Ignis's lips.  
"Wanna keep standing or can we move this to the bed already?"  
"You are insatiable," the tactician whispered and shook his head in disbelief.  
"Aaaw, come on, Iggy. I just want you to relax and be comfortable!"  
"Just be quiet already," the advisor ordered before he sealed Gladio's lips with his own again. He let one hand rest on the shield's hips for now while his other hand grabbed the hair on the back of Gladio's head, softly but determinedly angling the other's head to get the perfect kissing angle.

As soon as the kiss started, they were battling for dominance again. Ignis pushed his tongue inside of Gladio's mouth and wasn't surprised as he got pushed back. Their kisses always started that way. What he wasn't used to was the _slowness_ Gladio moved his tongue with tonight. Usually, their tongues fought a fierce battle, stroking each other, desperately trying to take the lead in their intimate dance with speed and power. But right now the shield pushed the advisor back _slowly_. There wasn't less force behind it as usual, but as the tactician's pointed tongue poked at Gladio's, swirling around it in circling motions the shield just kept still until he decided to slowly push forward again.

Ignis was confused. Was his lover just tired or had he suddenly adapted to a new style of kissing? But Gladio didn't appear to be tired. Quite the contrary. Even though he moved differently and slower than usual, the advisor felt the control slipping away from him as he adjusted his own movements to Gladio's, his tongue moving slower but somehow deeper.

It was different. It was more intense.

So intense that he unconsciously clutched onto Gladio, one hand gripping the hem of his lover's shirt and the other taking hold of his hair. He only realized this as Gladio broke the kiss with a deep groan.

Ignis opened his eyes and needed a moment to blink away the blurriness.  
"My apologies," he whispered after his brain had caught up with the events.  
His lover only chuckled before he started to place feathery kisses on the advisor's face.  
"Don't worry. You know I don't mind," the shield whispered into the advisor's ear causing him to shudder. "Just relax and don't worry about anything. Let me take care of you."

That probably sounded easily and appealingly enough to any common person out there, but not to Ignis. He just wasn't used to giving up control to anyone else. It wasn't because he didn't trust his lovers. But his upbringing commanded him to always be in control of everything and think about what's the best course of action to take next. He couldn't just lay back and let others decide. Sure, he was open and grateful for information input and suggestions. And of course he could have never really demanded anything from his prince but he still couldn't just shut down his mind and stop doing what he was raised and trained to do all lifelong.

"Eos to Ignis, you still there?"  
Gladio's deep voice made him look up at the other in confusion. Had he said something? He really wasn't at his best today, his attention was slipping again. Hopefully, he'd be back to his usual self after a little bit of sleep. A small sigh left his mouth without his intention.

"Am I so boring that you have to sigh?" the shield asked in mock vulnerability.  
"No, of course not. I'm just exhausted, so let's get this over with."  
" _Let's get this over with_? Astrals, Iggy. If you are not in the mood, just tell me."  
"No, no, I am in the mood. It's okay," the advisor answered at once.  
"You sure?"  
"Yes, I am sure."  
"Really sure?" Gladio said with a grin, his voice teasingly.  
"Yes, I am really sure." The advisor reciprocated the smile as he answered.  
"Hm... I am not convinced. Are you reeeally sure?" the shield whispered into Ignis's ear, causing the advisor to chuckle.  
"Yes, I am! Less talking, more action?" the tactician mentioned with a smirk thinking about Gladio's similar suggestion from earlier.

"Fine," Gladio said, his smirk turning even bigger. "Get on the bed."  
Ignis blinked at the sudden order but still did as he was told. Sitting down on the bed, he observed how the large man rummaged through his bag before he found the items in question and joined the advisor on the bed - lube and condoms ready at hand.

The tactician elegantly raised one of his thin eyebrows. "You sure are prepared."  
"Always," Gladio answered as he sat down on the bed as well after pulling his shirt up and taking it off with one practiced move, letting the piece of cloth fall down on the ground.  
Now that he thought about it, it was unique for the shield to even wear a shirt. Usually, the others had to remind or ask him to wear one. And especially at night, the large man preferred to sleep completely naked - much to Ignis's dismay. The advisor had been raised to _always_ be dressed properly and therefore had trouble to understand how someone like Gladio could simply neglect his attire that much. It took quite some discussions until they found a mutual agreement and Gladio at least wore shorts at night. So why was he wearing a shirt tonight in the heat of Lestallum?

"It's even worse than usual." Gladio's voice interrupted Ignis's line of thoughts.  
"Pardon me?"  
"You, getting lost in your thoughts. Tonight it's even worse than usual," his lover explained and playfully snapped his index finger against the tactician's forehead. "If something is bothering you, maybe we should talk about it?"

"My apologies," Ignis said remorsefully, causing the older man to frown. But before he could say something, the advisor continued to speak. "I can assure you there is nothing bothering me. Nothing out of the ordinary at least. It's alright, really."  
He appreciated the other's concern, but he knew that talking about it wouldn't solve anything. It wasn't like huge worries were keeping him down or difficult decisions had to be made. He was just thinking about everything and all in general and that was probably the main reason for him to miss out on sleep.

To emphasize his decision, Ignis took off his own shirt, folded it neatly and set it down on the nightstand beside the bed.

"Alright. Come here," Gladio said with a low voice as he carefully grabbed Ignis's chin, turning his head to kiss him. If anyone looked at Gladio and his stature, one wouldn't even think he'd be able to be this gentle. But his fingers moved from the advisor's chin over to his cheek, softly gracing the skin, rubbing little soothing circles before he moved his hand behind Ignis's ear, brushing through his hair and starting to carefully massage his head.

Ignis felt himself relax into the touch, unintentionally falling trap to Gladio's slow kissing movements again before he remembered what had happened earlier. Gladio wanted to take control of the situation. Right, now he remembered. How could he have forgotten? But maybe it was okay to forget. It wasn't a problem if the other wanted to take over for once. He could just lay back and let Gladio ride him. They hadn't done that in quite a while. Even if Ignis wasn't used to it, didn't mean it couldn't be enjoyable for him as well.

A sudden brush over his nipple made him shiver and open his eyes. When had they even stopped kissing? He felt a little guilty for getting lost in his thoughts once again without concentrating on his lover and their exchange of caresses.  
"If this were our first date night, I'd think you were rejecting me," Gladio whispered into his ear followed by a little chuckle.  
"Then I'm glad this _isn't_ our first night," the tactician mentioned before he went back to kissing his lover.

Ignis could feel the other's grin as they resumed the kiss and had to admit he was starting to like the slow pace they had silently agreed upon for now. He caressed the shield's neck and earlobes before he buried his hands in Gladio's hair, tousling through it, sometimes even tugging lightly, causing his companion to groan into their kiss. The tactician started to triumphantly smirk as well until Gladio went back to stroking Ignis's nipples. The sensation made him quiver and take in a ragged breath through his nose every time he felt the skilled finger's rubbing over his sensitive buds. His lover really knew how to get to him.

They kept kissing and touching each other, getting more heated with time. Neither man wanted to break their kiss even though both were in desperate need of air. But that's how it often went between them. They tried to caress the other well enough for _him_ to break the kiss and suck in air. If Ignis thought about it, it was a rather childish competition. It's not like there was anything to win or lose, but both men just hated to lose anyway. Having to break their kiss on his own felt like admitting that Gladio had managed to make him lose his self-control as well. And that was something the tactician still had troubles with.

"Haa!"  
An unusual high-pitched cry left his mouth as Gladio suddenly pinched both of his nipples at once and Ignis stared at Gladio in disbelief while he pressed a hand to his mouth. How had that happened?!  
"No need to hold back," Gladio said encouragingly, but Ignis only looked at him sharply.  
"Gladiolus! We have to keep quiet or we'll wake up the others," he hissed.  
"Don't care. I liked the sound you just made and I wanna hear it again," the shield said with a huge smirk on his face.

Before Ignis could protest, he found himself flat on his back, Gladio looming over him with his huge frame, causing Ignis to temporarily stare in awe.  
The shield flashed him a large competitive grin before he commenced to suck on the advisor's left nipple while he used his rough but pleasant fingers to caress his right one as well.  
The advisor pressed a hand over his mouth, desperately trying to stifle his moans while his other hand grabbed Gladio's hair, half-heartedly trying to push the man away but only urging him on even more with his tugging.

If he really wanted him to stop, he could easily stop him. They both knew this. But Ignis didn't want him to stop.  
Yes, he was afraid of giving in. He was afraid of losing control. He was afraid of waking up the others and disturb their sleep. But _Astrals_ , he wanted more of these feelings his lover coaxed out of him.

Gladio moved his tongue way too skillfully. He circled around the sensitive bud, casually licking it from time to time and sometimes moved his lips like he was kissing him. Occasionally there were some- to Ignis's ears -obscene slurping noises but even if the advisor heard them together with the howling wind, the rain constantly drumming against the window glass and the crashing thunder outside, he didn't tell Gladio to stop. It just felt too good. His lover knew exactly what his weak point was and was using it to his advantage without any restraint.  
And the advisor allowed him to do so.

Without realizing it, Ignis started to lose more and more control over himself. Little moans began to slip from his lips, followed by groans and hot breaths of air. The hand over his mouth didn't fulfill its purpose any longer. It wasn't blocking out the noises anymore. Instead, he had unconsciously started to suck on his own fingers, sometimes trying to bite down on them in a fleeting remembrance of trying to stay quiet.

Gladio continued to assault his weak points with his skilled mouth and changed from one nipple to the next, his hand starting to move down and caress his pointy hip bones.

Ignis felt hot. Way hotter than before. It wasn't just the heat of Lestallum that was getting to him but also the heat his lover had awakened deep inside of him. Beads of sweat had formed on Ignis's forehead, and every part of his body that had been touched by Gladio seemed to burn. But it was a pleasant burn. The advisor couldn't describe it well enough. He was known to always have a sharp tongue and an endless treasury of words, but the shield's actions caused him to lose control over his words, over his reasoning and over his thoughts.

He was getting lost in pleasure. He was so far gone he couldn't even remember when Gladio had gone and stripped him out of his shorts and boxers, finally freeing his aching erection from its prison of clothes.

The shield was still caressing his left nipple with his large fingers but his mouth had started to wander further down the tall man's body, leaving a trail of kisses on his way.

Ignis had closed his eyes for quite a while now and engulfed himself in the feelings of his lover's touch.

He enjoyed every second of it. There was a fleeting little voice in the back of his head which told him to not just lazily lay back but tend to his lover's needs as well, but Ignis managed to fade it out. Gladio had told him to lay back and relax and Ignis had decided to follow his suggestion. He wanted to. He felt good. He felt so good he had forgotten about all his worries.

Until he felt a lubed finger carefully stroking his entrance.

His eyes shot open in time with him sitting up on the bed and he stared at Gladio in shock. He wanted to protest at once but his voice failed him on the first try.

"You okay?" Gladio worriedly raised an eyebrow and stopped his movements for now, leaving his hands on Ignis though.

"Y-yes, of course," Ignis finally managed to speak, although he still had trouble to think any coherent thought, like a deep fog had clouded his mind.  
"Okay. Wanna lay back again then? Looked like you were enjoying it," Gladio said with an encouraging smile as he rubbed soothing circles over the tactician's tummy.

"I... I was, yes," the advisor said and blinked as if he was confused about this fact. As he didn't move an inch and just kept staring at Gladio, the shield looked at him expectantly at first but soon decided to resume his petting.

Ignis sucked in a breath and bucked his hips as Gladio placed a teasing kiss on the top of his erection. He closed his eyes again and slowly laid back down as he felt the shield stroking his entrance once more.

"Wait!" he exclaimed as he sat up again, looking over to the other bed in panic as he realized the volume of his own voice. But Noctis and Prompto lay as still as before.

Gladio had stopped his movements once more, this time with a displeased frown upon his face.  
Ignis felt guilty for disturbing their love act again, but he had to make things clear. "What are you doing?"

Surely the question wasn't as well phrased as he could have managed to if he wasn't halfway lost in pleasure and tiredness.  
"I think you are enlightened enough to know..." the shield said confused.

"No. I mean, yes, I am. But that's not what I meant," the tactician answered and tried to sort out his thoughts to phrase a coherent sentence.  
"I thought you... wanted to ride me?"

"Huh? Oh, no," Gladio answered sheepishly with the hint of a blush upon his cheeks before a smirk formed on his lips and he leaned forward to seductively whisper into Ignis's ear.

"I want to _fuck_ you."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please don't hate me for that cliffhanger.
> 
>  
> 
> [Check out my Profile to find me on Tumblr or Twitter!](https://archiveofourown.org/users/SophiaHoppia/profile)   
> 


	4. To give up control

"I want to _fuck_ you."

Gladio's words reverberated in Ignis's head and he simply kept gazing at his lover in pure white shock.

He hadn't foreseen such a statement from the shield. They had discussed this sufficiently.  
... Or not, if Ignis was honest. He had _thought_ about it often enough but never really talked about it with Gladio. But how should he bring this up now? His lover appeared to be so eager and had the best intentions. Ignis really didn't want to start a discussion about him not wanting to bottom now. If he did so, he'd never get his sleep. Even worse, he would disappoint his lover and if their discussion got too heated and loud they'd also wake up their sleeping younger boyfriends.

"Not a good proposal judged by your facial color?" The large man sighed and leaned further back, sitting down on the bed instead of kneeling, lovingly taking one of Ignis's hands in his own.  
The advisor just stared at the shield, unsure what to do or say next.  
"Just tell me what's in your head. I won't get mad," Gladio said, his voice reassuringly.  
Ignis felt bad. His lover was always looking after him, observing every small hint of displeasure and made sure to stop immediately. Sometimes Ignis thought that he wasn't worth such a caring lover. Gladio deserved someone better than him. Someone who cared for his every need as well.

But that wasn't exactly the topic here right now.  
"It's just... We haven't really done this before? Like... that?" Ignis mentioned carefully, still feeling as stripped of his usual eloquence as he was stripped of his clothes. He neither wanted to fail Gladio nor hurt his feelings.

"Well yeah," Gladio said, "usually you are topping. But I thought it would do you some good to lay back and relax. Let yourself get taken care of for once?"  
It sounded like a reasonable explanation, which was usually more than enough to convince the tactician. Concerning this topic, though, it wasn't that easy. And admitting it wasn't easy either.  
"I appreciate the thought, however..."  
"However? You don't wanna bottom?" Gladio interrupted the advisor. Ignis wasn't sure if he was grateful that he didn't have to spell it out or if he felt taken aback for getting interrupted. Although he had to admit that he had been speaking rather reserved.  
"That's not-"  
"Just be honest," the shield said and interrupted him once again. Ignis bit his lip. There was no way to get around this presumably long overdue talk tonight. He should brace himself, take courage and just be honest. His lover was no unemotional beast, he would understand that everyone had their own preferences and dislikes. And there own no-goes. Though the tactician wasn't sure if he could even call it that way. It's not that he had anything against the idea per se. It was just... complicated. He sighed and looked at Gladio, who had observed him with an expectant look for quite some time now. Ignis held it in high regards that the other didn't interrupt his train of thoughts this time.

"I," Ignis started hesitantly and cleared his throat as if that would take away his nervousness as well before he continued, "Yes, I don't want to bottom."  
"Well, okay. If that's a fact, I won't force you," the shield said, holding up his hands in conciliation and Ignis already relaxed, hoping to have avoided a deeper conversation about this particular topic, before Gladio continued to talk. "But I'm curious, so, why?"  
"Why?" Ignis furrowed his brows. Of course, it wouldn't be that easy. Of course, his lover would ask for an explanation. The shield had always been direct and lacked the tactfulness to know when his counterpart preferred to let the topic slide. Or he knew it but still pressured Ignis for answers. They were lovers after all. It's not like they _intended_ to keep secrets from each other.

"Yeah. Why don't you want to?" Gladio elaborated his question. "Did you dislike it that much when you rode Noctis and Prompto?"  
"That's... No." Ignis grabbed the bed sheets in discomfort. "It was different? But it's not like I despised it."

He really didn't want to admit the real reason to his lover. It just felt too private and personal and maybe a little... _stupid_? Even though deep down he knew that Gladio would never laugh at him, he still couldn't bring himself to speak up. But he didn't enjoy listening to Gladio making false assumptions either. He had to make sure the shield didn't take this conversation the wrong way and consequently didn't think that Ignis had disliked his unique experiences with their younger lovers.

"I'm relieved to hear that," Gladio said and looked less tense, "But then why? Did you make bad experiences in a previous relationship?"  
"No, Gladiolus," Ignis sighed in annoyance, "I've never bottomed for anyone before. Noct was the first."  
"And Prom the second and last?" The shield deducted.  
"Yes," answered Ignis as confirmation, hoping to finally let the topic slide with that admittance.

"But you liked it," the shield said, rubbing his chin in thought. "Yet you still don't want to do it again? Iggy, I'm not the tactician here, but I'm quite sure I'm missing an important piece of information to get this right."

Ignis sighed once again. There'd be no end to this conversation if he didn't speak in plain language.  
"Yeah, it's just... I feel like losing control?"  
"That's not uncommon during sex," the shield said with a frown upon his forehead.

"True," the advisor said confirmingly, already knowing that this short answer wouldn't satisfy his lover. He looked into Gladio's amber-colored eyes and saw a flicker of every emotion currently flowing through his lover there: confusion, curiosity, worry, _love_. Still afraid of a bad reaction- without being able to imagine how someone as lovingly as Gladio even _could_ react badly to something his lover obviously troubled -Ignis took a deep breath and explained his problem. "It's even worse when I bottom. Or when you guys are riding me. Because you are taking over the more active part, leaving me passive and out of control."  
"And that's... a bad thing?" Gladio asked carefully.  
"Yes," Ignis simply admitted.  
"Why?" It was obvious that the large man didn't really understand where the advisor was coming from.

"Gladiolus, I've been in control of myself my whole life," Ignis snapped. He didn't like to lay himself bare and he thought his explanation just now had been enough - even too much for him already. But apparently, he needed to spell out each and every piece of it. "I have been raised to be on alert all the time, think through all possibilities and give directions and pieces of advice accordingly. I _can't_ just _give up_ control." He had to take a deep breath after this little outburst.  
"And that's why you have trouble to rest, relax and enjoy certain things," the shield said, almost sounding proud to have made this deduction.

"That might be true," Ignis had to admit the truth of his lover's conclusion.  
"That's why I wanna help you," Gladio said with a soft voice and took Ignis's hand into his own. "You don't need to be in control all the time. You can trust your lovers to take over once in a while - not just in bed. You do have faith in us, don't you?"  
"Of course, I do," the tactician said at once and squeezed his lover's hand. That was another reason why he hadn't wanted to talk about this topic. He knew that Gladio would misunderstand him and would start to doubt everything. Ignis somehow had to make sure the other knew that he didn't have trust issues. At least not in general. The problem wasn't that he didn't trust his lovers to take control, but that he didn't trust himself to give up on control. Yet the more he thought about it, the more he doubted if there really was such a big difference from his lovers' point of view. He had to make things clear somehow. "I trust you three. I'm even letting Noct drive the Regalia from time to time."

"Yeah," Gladio snorted, "because he needs to learn to take over at least some responsibilities. Most of the time you are doing everything for him."  
"Not everything," Ignis denied on reflex.  
"But 99%," the shield retorted and continued before the advisor had a chance to speak up. "And don't even think about denying this one."  
"You are right... But that's just how I am," Ignis admitted in defeat, pulling his hand away from Gladio's and avoiding his gaze.

"I know. And we love you for who you are," Gladio said, gently cupping the advisor's cheek, softly forcing him to meet his loving gaze. "But I want you to relax and enjoy life every now and then. Even if it's just for one night."  
"Gladio..." Ignis felt his eyes getting moist. Surely his lack of sleep was the reason for this. It had nothing to do with the warm feeling his lover aroused inside of him, even making the corners of his mouth twitch into the hint of a smile.

Gladio's thumb rubbed soothing circles over the advisor's cheek and his smile felt warmer than the sun. It was weird. Ignis had always thought that Prompto was the only one with a smile as lovingly as sunshine after a month of rain. But Gladio was able to do so as well.  
"You wanna try?" the large man asked cautiously, "We don't have to do it again if you don't like it. Or we can always stop in the middle if you get too uncomfortable."  
"Well, I..." Ignis searched for an answer. He wanted to avoid his gaze, being too afraid of looking as vulnerable as he felt. But he just couldn't do it. He couldn't stop meeting his lover's intense gaze, feeling every bit of good intention, hope and care in it.

"Yeah?" Gladio carefully dug deeper.  
"I'm not used to it, so I'm probably not good at it," the tactician finally said admittingly and felt the blush creeping up to his cheeks, one of them still cuddled by his lover's large hand.  
"That's what you're worried about?" Gladio laughed loudly before he tuned it down a bit, remembering that Ignis wouldn't want his two younger lovers to wake up, and instead chuckled as silently as he could manage. "That's no problem, Igster. I'm sure you'll be a natural like with everything you do. You'll manage. Just lay back and relax, yeah?"

 _Igster_. The advisor smiled. What kind of new nickname was that? His lover could be such a dork. Why was he even hesitating? He should just be honest.  
"I'll try, even though it's... scary to give up control."  
"No need to be afraid. I'll be with you the whole time and promise to shield you from all harm!" the well-trained man announced and proudly flexed his muscles.  
"You're incorrigible," Ignis said, slowly shaking his head in mock disbelief, a smile once more gracing his lips.  
"Is that a compliment?" Gladio asked eagerly and Ignis saw the sparkle in his lover's eyes.  
"In your case, yes, it is," he said amused.  
"Okay! Then I'll do my best to live up to it!" the shield answered before he placed a chaste kiss on the advisor's forehead, making Ignis chuckle.

"Come on now. We are already naked. No need to be chaste now."  
"You deserve an endless amount of all kind of kisses, babe," Gladio stated.  
"Then maybe you should stop talking and give me more?"  
"Oh? Is someone getting impatient?" His grin was almost hearable in his voice.  
"Never, love. I'm enjoying every second of your affection," Ignis said and laid his arms on Gladio's broad shoulders.

"Aaw. Careful, or I might wanna tease you," the shield answered with a wolfish grin on his face and started to playfully rub his chin against the advisor's cheek, his beard stubble tickling Ignis.  
"H-Hey!" The tactician backed away a little, failing to suppress a little yelp. The sound of it seemed to ignite a fire in Gladio's eyes and before the advisor could think about the consequences of this, he already felt himself getting pushed back onto the bed once again, his lover's huge frame looming over him. Gladio sat down on Ignis's thighs, using his own body to hold the other down and rubbed his beard stubble from Ignis's cheeks over his neck down to his cleavage while his hands mercilessly tickled the sides of his upper body.

Ignis struggled to get away without success, waves of laughter bubbling out of his mouth without any chance to hold them back. His hands tried to latch onto something and instinctively grabbed Gladio's head, trying to pull his lover's tickling face away from his own body, tugging the shield's hair in the progress. But the large man didn't let himself get dissuaded and continued to tickle Ignis.

The advisor desperately tried to contain his laughter and keep silent, but he soon had to realize that there was no way he could do so. Nevertheless, his laughter quieted down, abruptly turning into a moan when Gladio had wandered back down far enough to caress Ignis's nipple like he had done before. The tactician needed a moment to catch up with the sudden change of emotions, a mix of giggles and moans leaving his lips.

"Gladio!" Ignis hissed as the movements of Gladio's hands seemed to have changed their purpose as well. There was nothing tickling about them anymore, instead, they caressed the advisor's soft, pale skin, drawing invisible patterns over his hips and stomach.

Ignis's breath stuttered and he curled his toes as a well-known heat started to reawaken inside of him. He untangled his right hand from Gladio's hair and brought it up to his face, covering up the moans, escaping from his lips. Through his partly closed eyes he saw Gladio looking up at him and even though he expected the shield to speak up and tell him again to not hold back, the man only flashed him a smile before he started to blow feathery kisses over the advisor's chest down to his stomach.

They were so close, that the shield's usual necklace was long enough for its pendant to grace Ignis's skin, its brush revealing the trail Gladio's lips would take shortly after. Ignis closed his eyes to sharpen his other senses. Outside of the hotel, the thunderstorm was still raging over the prominent city, but it didn't bother him any longer. He was too focused to suppress his moans, listening to Gladio's movements, the rustling of sheets beneath the big man's actions, the occasional content moans leaving his lovers throat whenever Ignis stroked through his hair encouragingly.

When he felt a finger brushing against his anus he held his breath and bit his lip. Feeling the sudden tension beneath his fingers, Gladio rubbed soothingly over the tactician's hipbones and placed more feathery kisses on his stomach, his other hand patiently circling around his entrance, only casually moving over it every now and then.  
"Take all the time you need. Or tell me if I'm going too fast," Gladio whispered, his hot breath brushing Ignis's pale skin.

Ignis opened his eyes to look at his lover and was met with a gaze carrying so much love, a shudder went through his very body. "No, it's okay. You... can go on. I trust you."

The smile that graced the advisor's lips magically found its way to the shield's lips as well before the large man went back to placing little soft kisses on the smooth skin beneath him. Ignis chuckled and relaxed against the silky sheets. He really _did_ trust Gladio. The shield had too much of a protective nature to ever even risk hurting one of his lovers - physically or emotionally.

Ignis caressed his boyfriend's cheek with his right hand and made him look up again. A short pursing of his lips was enough to get the shield to smile again and kiss his path back up to the advisor's mouth, where he was awaited by an eager tongue.

As Gladio carefully probed his entrance with his lubed finger again, Ignis grabbed his lover's hair and kissed him more roughly, all the while parting his legs a little wider, silently telling the other to continue. He soon felt his lover's digit sliding into him, slowly and carefully. It did neither hurt nor feel especially great, so Ignis just concentrated on kissing Gladio, letting their tongues fight their usual battle while he stroked his lover's back, feeling the strong muscles move beneath his fingertips.

It didn't take long for Gladio to slow down the movements of his tongue and simultaneously started to move his finger inside of his lover. Ignis shuddered as he felt the shield's tongue pushing his own back into his mouth every time his boyfriend's finger pushed back inside of him as well. Without his notice, the advisor started to slowly move his hips as he kissed Gladio back, pushing to meet the other's movements. As their kisses and actions got more heated with every second, Ignis couldn't contain his moans any longer and a few groans left his lover's throat as well, the deep bass reverberating almost through his whole body.

As a second finger joined the first in its quest to prepare the advisor for what was to come, he abruptly broke the kiss and bit his hand on reflex. Gladio, always the tender lover, stopped the movements of his hand and carefully pulled Ignis's hand away from his teeth, licking over the faint teeth marks and placing little pecks onto the flushed skin. "Shh... it's alright," he whispered and a small whimper left the tactician's mouth.  
_Astrals_. How could one man be so caring and tender? Ignis felt imaginary butterflies fluttering in his stomach and his cheeks turn red. If he ever thought he couldn't love his boyfriend any more than he already did, then he would have been proven wrong tonight. His emotions for Gladio grew stronger with every minute they spent and Ignis already felt at a loss for what to do. He wasn't used to handling such strong emotions. But they kept spreading, lighting a fire inside his body, he didn't know he was capable of feeling.

"Gladio..." he almost whimpered, his voice thick with emotions and almost broken, as he wrapped his arms around his large boyfriend and pulled him down for another kiss. It was like a dam had been broken as Ignis desperately latched onto his lover, kissing him eagerly and wiggling his body in need, causing Gladio to hold still in surprise at first. Even though the tactician was slowly getting lost in pleasure he still had a clear enough mind to know what to do. He brushed his cunning fingers through his lover's hair once again, impatiently tugging it and coaxing a beautiful cry out of the large man. He triumphantly smirked into the kiss as he felt Gladio resuming his movements until he himself had to groan as his lover's fingers began to move faster in and out of his hole, matching their new-found pace.

Now it was Gladio's turn to smirk as he broke their kiss and searched Ignis's face for a reaction.  
"Don't stop," the advisor mumbled and followed his lover's mouth with his own, stealing another kiss from chuckling lips.  
"Didn't intend to stop," Gladio whispered into his ear, "just thought other parts of your body needed a little attention as well."  
The advisor's breath hitched as his lover nibbled at his earlobe and began to trail down his neck, leaving a path of kisses on the way, sucking at his soft skin and delightfully gracing his teeth over it.

Ignis wasn't used to getting that much attention, but a tiny, selfish voice inside of him said that he _could_ get used to it. He enjoyed the touches of his lover: the tender kisses, the soft brush of fingertips against his cheeks, the sensual graze of lips down his neck, the sinful flicking of a tongue over his nipples and even the unusual movements of thick fingers against the usually untouched part of his body.

The advisor had his eyes closed again and was panting heavily as Gladio caressed both of his nipples with his tongue and skilled fingers once more. It felt so good, that Ignis wished it would never end. Nonetheless, it wasn't enough and he felt himself getting impatient. His hips bucked on their own volition, causing his lover to chuckle.  
"Getting impatient?" Gladio asked teasingly and blew the advisor's erect nipple, causing the wet bud to stiffen even more at the pleasant coolness.  
"N-no," Ignis said stubbornly, making the shield only snicker again.  
"No?" the shield asked teasingly as he leaned back to sit between Ignis's spread legs and let his hand wander from his stomach over his hips to his thighs. The advisor's reply died on his lips as Gladio inserted a third finger, his lover's gaze fixed on Ignis's face to read his every reaction.

The advisor clenched around the digits and clawed his hands into the bed sheets. He was getting a little uncomfortable by now. What had just felt good, was now feeling a little too much. But he wanted this. Not only for Gladio but for himself. He was already enjoying this more than he had ever dared to envision. Therefore he tried to concentrate on the movements of Gladio's other hand instead. The shield graced his fingertips over his thighs and hips, still carefully observing Ignis's reaction. The advisor looked up at Gladio through his half-lidded lashes and nodded reassuringly at the questioning look he received. His lover smiled as he placed a kiss on his knee, starting to mouth his way up the advisor's leg where his hand had graced along before. Ignis closed his eyes again, trying to focus on these feelings along, expecting the shield to follow his path up to his hips and stomach again until he felt a long wet stripe along the underside of his neglected erection.

A loud cry tumbled over his lips before he could press a hand down on his mouth and his hips began to have a life of their own, pushing up at once, desperately trying to follow the tongue of his teasing lover.  
"Definitely not impatient," Gladio mumbled sarcastically, making Ignis groan.

"Do you _intend_ to tease me?" the advisor asked.  
"Never," Gladio chuckled before he leaned down again to lick up a bead of precum from the tactician's arousal, conspicuously smearing it over his own lips like he was savoring the flavor of a good meal. Ignis wanted to avoid his gaze from this obscenity, yet he couldn't do anything but stare at Gladio's mouth, his glistening lips, slightly swollen from all the kisses.  
"Please..." Ignis whimpered before he even realized the request had left his lips. The shield's eyes widened in surprise and he went down on his lover immediately. "Of course, handsome."  
Without even the slightest intention to tease any longer Gladio took the head of the advisor's manhood into his mouth and sucked on it.  
"Haa!" Ignis couldn't contain the exclaim and arched his back as he finally felt the desired heat envelop him.

His lover didn't hesitate any longer, bobbing his head up and down, tracing the underside of Ignis's member with his skilled tongue.  
"Astrals, yes!" The advisor closed his eyes and threw his head back, quickly getting lost in pleasure.

And what a pleasure it was. It wasn't often that Ignis allowed himself to indulge in a blowjob. The skilled tongues of his lovers'- especially Prompto's -always threatened to leave him helpless and out of control. As if he had discovered the advisor's thoughts and was ready to take on the competition, the shield took Ignis's manhood deeper into his mouth, tracing along its underside with his hot tongue. Gladio took his free hand to grab the part of Ignis's erection he couldn't meet with his mouth and tongue, mimicking the up and down movements of his head with his hand. The fingers of his other hand were still buried deep inside of the advisor's hole and moved in tandem with him.

Ignis found it almost difficult to breathe. He writhed his head from left to right, his hips twitched up on their own and his hands went from grabbing the bed sheets to grabbing the pillow below his head and back to the sheets again. He was losing control. It felt so good to be given pleasure, but there was something scary about it as well. In his desperate attempt to find something to hold onto, his hands found their way to Gladio's hair, starting to guide his lover's head the way he liked it, increasing or slowing down the speed, controlling it like he wanted to.

He didn't know how much time had passed as Gladio let go of him with a loud popping sound, looking at him, his eyes thick with lust. The tactician had been so far gone that it took him a moment to understand why his lover had stopped at all.  
"Guess, you're ready..." Gladio said with a hoarse voice and removed his fingers from Ignis, leaving the advisor with an unusual feeling of emptiness. He tried to catch his breath as he watched the shield put on a condom, lube his proudly-standing erection with a few practiced strikes and line up against his entrance.

Gladio kneeled between the advisor's legs, one hand placed on the tactician's left knee, softly pushing his legs apart while he used his right hand to guide his erection to his lover's hole. Ignis felt the huge, hot head press against his entrance and reflexively cramped. The shield smiled at him and his thumb began to rub soothing circles on his pale skin once more. "Shh... Just relax. I'll take it slow and won't hurt you."  
Ignis knew his lover was right. He could trust his words and knew the other would never deliberately do something he disliked or caused him pain.

Not trusting his own voice any longer, he nodded responsively and tried to take a few deep breaths to calm himself down.

And then he felt Gladio pressing in.

A loud gasp left his mouth and he clenched down at the unusual intrusion, pressing his eyes shut. He wasn't used to something this large pushing in. The shield didn't press ahead any further, instead holding his current position and started to caress not only Ignis's knee but his thigh and hips as well, tenderly fondling it.

Ignis attempted to relax. He really did. He had his eyes shut and tried to concentrate on his breathing. He just had to loosen up. He knew how utterly blissed his lovers always looked whenever he entered them. It had to feel good. They always said it felt so good and they always sounded honest. Why wasn't that the case for him? Why was he afraid to have a face contorted by pain instead of pleasure? Was he just not cut out for this kind of activity?

A sudden graze on his manhood made him moan and open his eyes to meet Gladio's loving gaze. "You with me again?"

Ignis let out a breath and relaxed.  
"I," he answered, a little confused, "I was never gone."  
The shield chuckled. "Looked like you were getting lost in thoughts again instead of enjoying the here and now with me."

Whatever response had formed on his tongue got lost as Gladio decided to push himself in a little deeper, making the tactician's breath hitch. The advisor bit his lip waiting for a spark of pain to rush through him, but it didn't come. Carefully he reopened his eyes and was once again met with nothing but love and care.  
"Gladio..." he mumbled as he felt himself blushing and reached out to his lover. Gladio took his hand without any hesitation, bringing it up to his face, placing an endless number of small kisses upon his fingers while never breaking eye contact with him.

Ignis felt hot. So very hot. And he was sure it had nothing to do with the heat of Lestallum still lingering inside the hotel room but with the love he felt swell up in his chest. He tried to even his breath before he encouragingly nodded at his lover. Gladio smiled and planted a large, wet kiss on Ignis's hand before he slowly pressed deeper. The tactician sucked in a breath as he felt the hot hardness penetrate him even further and closed his eyes once more. He knew how large his lover was. He really knew it. But he still was impressed how enormous he felt inside of him. It appeared like there was no end to him.

When he realized that his lover had stopped all his movements except for the small kisses he constantly peppered down on the advisor's hand, he reopened his eyes and looked down where their bodies lay flush against each other.  
"You okay?" Gladio asked, his brows furrowed in sorrow.  
"Y-yes, I am okay," the tactician answered tentatively as if he wasn't sure himself. The shield chuckled and leaned back a little, sliding his hot and hard member out until only the head of it remained inside. Ignis sucked in air as he felt the movement and hold his breath as soon a Gladio stopped. His lover didn't wait long before he slowly pushed his whole length back in again and Ignis was surprised it didn't hurt at all. It was a strange feeling. He wasn't used to getting his insides touched like this, but it wasn't painful. On the one hand, he knew it wouldn't hurt because his lover had thoroughly prepared him and he also knew how good his lovers always felt when they were getting taken, but on the other hand he had read and heard about so many times where people got hurt during the intercourse with their lovers. Although he didn't remember where he had heard this. Maybe these stories were all part of unrealistic media or men being neglectful with the preparation and amount of lube they used.

"Still okay?" Gladio's voice brought Ignis back to reality once more and he couldn't suppress the wide, genuine smile that formed on his face.  
"Yes. More than okay," he answered honestly and reached out for his lover with outstretched arms. The shield reciprocated the smile and leaned down, his huge frame covering the tactician's comparable small body completely. Ignis slung his arms around his lover's broad shoulders, almost clutching at him. His legs followed the change in position as well and he hooked them around Gladio's lower body.   
A small chuckle left his huge lover. "Didn't know you could be so clingy."  
"I'm sorry. Does it bother you?" Ignis asked at once, getting insecure for no rational reason.  
"Of course not," the shield said and placed a kiss on Ignis's cheek, "You don't need to hold back. I want you to feel good."  
"Likewise," the tactician answered, placing a quick peck on Gladio's lips.  
"If you continue to be so sweet I won't be able to take this slowly any longer," his lover groaned, making Ignis chuckle this time.

The advisor started to experimentally move his hips a little, testing out the waters and getting used to the new feeling. Incited by these movements, Gladio pulled out almost completely once more before he pressed back in again, this time a little faster and harder than before. Ignis tipped his head back, causing Gladio to take up on the unspoken offer, caressing his neck with little kisses.

The shield repeated the movements of his hips, changing the angle slightly with each try until he made Ignis gasp and lift up his head in surprise.  
"There?" Gladio asked and repeated the movements, pressing against the bundle of nerves inside of Ignis, which coaxed a high-pitched moan out of him this time, making it impossible for him to form a coherent answer. The advisor watched a smug appearing on his lover's face with big eyes and before he had the chance to say anything, Gladio brushed against his prostate once more.  
"Oh, Gods..." Ignis mumbled as his head fell back to the pillow and he closed his eyes in pleasure. It was such a strange feeling, but it felt so good. Way better than he had imagined. Maybe that was why his lovers enjoyed being on the receiving end of their interactions that much.

Each thrust of Gladio made him moan again. He wanted to be quiet, but there was no way to stop the sounds from tumbling over his lips. Even though his lover was thrusting fast and hard against his insides, the intervals between each thrust were still long. Apparently too long for Ignis as he started to whine every time the shield slowly pulled back and hold still before he quickly pushed in anew. There wasn't even a clear rhythm to it. The shield pulled out and let Ignis wait in anticipation until he suddenly decided to thrust in again. The advisor had to admit that it somehow heightened the pleasure when he finally received it, but somehow it wasn't enough.  
"Gladiolus... More! Please don't tease me, love..." He was surprised by his own words and if the way Gladio sucked in his breath was any indication his lover was surprised as well.  
"As you wish, babe" the shield whispered directly into his ear, making Ignis shudder, and finally picked up a regular rhythm. Although the intervals between his thrust were still long.

Ignis bit his lip and clutched his arms around his lover's back a little tighter before he decided to kiss him. His tongue feverishly explored his lover's mouth and his hips started to move on their own, meeting his lover's movements for an even greater impact. He moaned into the kiss, moving his tongue and lips way faster than their hips, trying to urge his lover on.

As Gladio finally started to move at faster intervals, Ignis had to break their kiss, throwing his head back at the sudden increase in pleasure.  
"Oh, Gods, yes. More, Gladio... Please. More. Faster." The words tumbled across his lips before he could think about them, his cheeks turning red with embarrassment and he hid his face in the crook of his lover's neck. He was starting to lose the control over his own body, clutching his hands at Gladio's back, desperately trying to hold onto something to keep him level-headed.

It didn't help. He felt himself getting lost in pleasure anyway. His hips had long since developed a life of their own, moving in tandem with his lover's deep thrusts. Ignis felt the excessive lube flowing out due to their fast movements, slowly dripping down his cheeks. His whole body felt hot. His lungs were in desperate need of more air, but he couldn't stop kissing and biting his lover's neck, leaving a wet trail behind, moaning against his lover's sweaty skin.

He didn't know how long they were making out already. He didn't know how loud they had gotten, especially he himself. He wasn't even sure if their younger lovers were still fast asleep or if they had woken them up by now. It felt like he was drifting off into unconsciousness, a constant yet undefinable sound resonating in his ears. He didn't even know if the thunderstorm and rain were still raging over Lestallum. The only thing he knew was that Gladio was there. He was there with him. He was holding him.  
"Gladio..."  
"Yeah..." He was answering him. His voice was breathy and broken as his own, but every time his lover's name tumbled over Ignis's lips, the shield responded. When Ignis clung to him even tighter he felt his lover do the same.

And that's why he felt good.

It was scary to lose control and get lost in pleasure. But Gladio was there with him. He was as solid as a rock. No matter how much Ignis squirmed beneath him, Gladio still held him. No matter how tight Ignis clung to him, no matter how hard he tugged at his lover's hair or scratched his back, Gladio let him do so without complaint. No matter how scared Ignis was, Gladio protected him.

A chorus of his lover's name, _faster_ and _more_ seemed to leave his mouth like an endless river, but Ignis was unable to stop it. He was unable to do anything but concentrate on the pleasure pulsing through his body. Everything felt so good. Every thrust against his prostate sent a shock of pleasure through his whole body. Every movement made his own erection brush against his lover's firm abs, sending another flood of pleasure through him. Every second made him fall deeper into this spiral of satisfaction, but it wasn't enough. Nothing was enough. He needed more of his lover. More of these pleasurable feelings. They needed to be closer, never to be separated again. Ignis felt a hot warmth building up in his lower body. He knew this familiar heat, knew he was getting closer. And he wanted to come. But he also wanted to experience these feelings forever and never let them come to an end. It made no sense. He couldn't think straight anymore. Everything was too much but not enough at the same time.

A loud cry left him as he came,  his head thrown back, clenching down on his lover's erection, as he spilled himself over Gladio's abs and his own stomach. He heard his lover grunt and suddenly hold still after a few more thrusts and Ignis was barely conscious enough to realize that Gladio had reached his orgasm as well.

His mind was still foggy, his cheeks flared and his ears were ringing, but his body was functional enough to gasp for air, taking in quick breaths until his breathing gradually calmed down to its regular speed again. Ignis only now realized how utterly spent he felt, even more exhausted than after a long sparing session. His body was sweaty and gross and Gladio's large frame covering him didn't improve his situation. But he was too drained to even move an inch.

Fortunately, he soon felt his lover prop himself up on his elbows and it took all of his remaining strength to crack open an eye and look at him.  
"You okay?" his lover asked for probably the umpteenth time today and Ignis smiled weakly.  
"Yeah..."  
He saw his smile getting reciprocated before he closed his eyes again. As his lover got up from the bed, the advisor suddenly felt cold and lonely despite the heat that radiated from his own body.  
But these feelings left him immediately as he was picked up by his lover's strong arms. He unconsciously snuggled against the shield's muscled chest as he was carried to the bathroom.

After Gladio had taken care of them both while Ignis was half asleep the whole time, he carried the advisor back to their bed. The shield pulled down the dirty sheets, covering the bed with one of the blankets instead before he laid Ignis back down on it. The tactician smiled as he was safely embraced by strong arms and his head came to rest on Gladio's broad chest, the steady beating of his lover's heart calming him as he finally drifted off to sleep.

~

Ignis was slowly waking up as he heard some hushed voices. He was still half asleep which made everything seem far away.  
"Dude, you totally missed something!"  
That sounded like Prompto. His lover's voice was as excited as it was almost all the time.  
"What...?" hearing Noct's mumbling voice, made Ignis listen up and fight against his lingering sleepiness. Their prince never got up early and especially not _before_ Ignis himself.  
"You missed the most mind-blowing sex ever tonight!"

The advisor's eyes shot open at once.

His gaze fell through the opened balcony door to the outside of Lestallum where the sun was shining brightly and the birds were singing. He could even hear the buzz of activity, telling him that it must be way later than he would have liked. Had he overslept? Just as he wanted to get up, he heard Noctis speak up again and remembered the situation he had woken up to.

"Ha? Why didn't anyone wake me?"  
"Come on, bro. You know it's next to impossible to wake you up at night," Prompto frowned.  
"I have no idea how you even managed to sleep through all that," Gladio said followed by a chuckle.  
"Okay seriously. What did I miss?" the prince sounded slightly annoyed by now.  
"You missed how Gladio fucked Iggy into the mattress. The bed was squeaking so loudly I was waiting for it to break down," Prompto explained and Ignis furrowed his eyebrows. Had the bed been squeaking? He couldn't even remember that part.  
"And Iggy..." the young blond continued, "was louder than ever before!"  
"What?" Noct asked at exactly the same moment Ignis thought it. "I don't believe you. Iggy never gets loud."  
"Well, Iggy has never been fucked by Gladio until tonight." Prompto shrugged. "Believe it or not. His moans and gasps and cries were so sexy I came right down my pants - almost untouched."

 _Oh Six_... Ignis was so embarrassed.

Gladio laughed loudly as their prince didn't answer, probably being as shocked as the advisor himself.  
"I... didn't even know he liked to bottom?" Noctis guiltily mumbled after a short pause.  
"Don't worry. No one knew. Probably not even he himself," Gladio said reassuringly and patted his younger lover on the back. "But that's something he should tell you himself. Just don't push him too soon. Knowing him, I guess he'll be kinda embarrassed about it."

"Sure..." the prince mumbled, "But you sure, you didn't break him? He never sleeps that long."  
"That's true..." Prompto said worryingly.  
"He has to catch up some sleep. The last days were too exhausting for him," the shield explained.  
"I shouldn't have let him drive the whole time," Noctis admitted.  
"No, no. It's only because we had to take a detour for my photographs," Prompto added guiltily.

"Stop it, boys. It's no one's fault in general. We just all have to look out for each other a little more in the future," their older lover said and ruffled the hair of the young ones as they consented to his proposal.  
"Therefore, we should take today off and all relax a little," Gladio announced, making Noctis and Prompto cheer instantly.

Ignis's cheeks still felt hot, but there was a smile on his lips. Gladio was right. They all needed a day off and he wouldn't object to him.  
"I love you all," the advisor said fondly before he even realized it and his younger lovers threw themselves on his bed, confessions of love tumbling over their lips as they cuddled against his back before Ignis had the chance to roll over and take them both into his arms, letting them snuggle up on his chest.

Gladio stood beside the bed and smiled down at them. "Guess you won't get up so soon today."  
"That's alright," the tactician smiled, "I'll leave today's plans in your capable hands."  
The shield's smile widened as the significance of these words sank in. "Don't worry. I've got it under control!"

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This story took a whole other way than intended to... 
> 
> Feel free to tell me what you liked/disliked! ^-^
> 
>  
> 
> [Check out my Profile to find me on Tumblr or Twitter!](https://archiveofourown.org/users/SophiaHoppia/profile)   
> 


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